“You’re like a storm cloud if it had fire power….”

~Magick by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

Yesterday I didn’t post! I was totally distracted after coming home from work by a box on my door step…..a box of Yule gifts from my girlfriend!

Well, nothing inside I was a surprise. Her gift to me had been a gift card to Amazon, but we’d spent the evening spending it together. I ordered several art books…as I said, I’m a BEGINNER and right now I’m devouring these things like nobodies business. They are delectable! Full of beautiful images that alone are fuel for my overactive imagination.

So what books did I get yesterday?

First I got Zentangle basics and Zentangle2 by Suzanne McNeil. I’ve been playing with Zentangling quite a bit. I really enjoy it! It’s art for people like me who are intimidated by drawing! The books are nice with lots of pattern ideas. Such fun!

The next book I got was “Collage Journeys” by Jane Davies. I’ve flipped through this one and it looks wonderful! Lots of ideas for layering and using found objects and texts. I’ll have to get more into it as I have a chance to read it!

“Art Journals and Creative Healing” by Sharon Soneff. I try not to live in shame that I' have “Chronic, medication resistant Depression” and possibly cyclothymic mood disorder. I’ve done talk therapy for years and been on pretty much every anti-depressant out there. My current  is Effexor….at max dose. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and working being optimistic! I also take a laundry list of supplements that my psycho-therapist and doctor agreed upon, a lot of amino acids and herbs in the attempt to keep my brain working happily. I bought this book hoping it would be helpful as well. I actually started with the art at my girlfriend’s suggestion to keep a journal and draw into it when I was feeling down. I resisted her advice until not to long ago and I have to say….so far it is addicting. A creative release of energy that spends some of the anxiety so that I can deal with the rest of it a bit easier. I haven’t read through this book yet but I flipped through it and I’m intrigued!

And lastly “Creative Illustration Workshop” by Katherine Dunn. I did get up this morning and read through some of this and I’m excited to read more! I love her work. LOVE her work. It’s the sort of work I aspire to….personal and abstract and yet universal and holistic. I can’t wait to dig in and try some of her ideas!

So..Happy Holy-days to all of you who are out there celebrating!